


Something In The Way

by inbatcountry17



Category: Phoenix Point (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 19:53:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14409435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inbatcountry17/pseuds/inbatcountry17
Summary: A dead man still walking.





	Something In The Way

There was a difference between regular mist and the _other_ kind of mist. It was subtle, but there.

Even still his fingers slipped on his tools in his haste to get this done.

Mathew got the computer open. He set to work removing the metal from the circuit boards. If he was lucky, he’d manage to collect enough to fill his backpack with supplies.

He tried not to think too hard about how much he needed new gloves.

The thought of pulling the copper wiring from the house's sockets sat in the back of his mind until he finished taking the computer apart. When he got around to looking, he found someone had beaten him too it. It was a wonder they overlooked the computer.

With nothing left of value to scavenge, Matthew left the house. It was one of few situated on a large hill away from the main city. Rich people homes. Five bedrooms. Multiple bathrooms.

Matthew could just see the roof caved in on the house next door.

He got on his bike. The feeling of being watched prickled at the back on his head. He should stay. Search a few more of the crumbling houses for things other scavengers might have missed. You never know.

He gripped the handlebars and peddled on. His instincts had kept him alive this long.

God knows why.

\--

  

People banded together because there was safety in numbers, and many hands make short work.

But that all fell apart if mutants decided to come calling. Matthew had seen the aftermath a dozen times in his travels.

Settlements get overrun no matter how many bullets they have. No matter how hard they train. It happens time and time again.

He didn’t want to be caught in the middle of it.

No matter how nice Liam’s smile was.

And wasn’t that something? That someone could still smile like that. Bright as the sun. Like nothing was wrong.

His brain helpfully supplied him with an image of a crabman wearing Liam’s smiling face.

Matthew’s fingers dug into his thighs as Liam turned away to put together his order. Enough food and water for a few more weeks if he spaced it out right.

Liam returned with the packages. He helped him get them all into his bag with some creativity on their part.

“Wait, before you go!” Liam ducked under the counter. He came back up with a shoebox only held together by a mass of tape. “This too.”

Matthew stared at the box sitting between them.

Liam nodded to it, smile turning nervous.

Matthew removed the top like he expected to find a bomb inside.

The brand new leather gloves inside might as well have been, for the way it made his stomach drop.

“Oh.” Matthew continued to stare. “I don’t have enough to trade for these.”

“They’re a gift,” Liam said.

Matthew pulled his eyes of the gloves to fix Liam with his stare instead.

“Why?”

“‘Cause I can.” Liam fidgeted with his sleeve. “Your gloves are falling apart. I don’t want you to be cold.”

Matthew’s shoulders hunched.

“Please just take them. Please.” Liam pushed the box closer.

It was getting chillier, and scavenger rule of thumb was to take every easy thing the universe throws your way. It won’t help you out often, so you better capitalize when it does.

He saw crabman wearing Liam’s smiling face.

Matthew shoved the gloves into his bag. Stomach twisting when he saw Liam’s smile gain its wattage back.

“Do you have time to stay for a little bit? Parker got something set up for us to watch movies. They’re playing The Incredibles in thirty minutes.” Liam asked.

Matthew flinched.

“No.”

 

\--

 

If Matthew concentrated hard enough, he could remember what it was like _Before_. Nothing concrete. It all read as a blur of events. If you asked him what year he had won the science fair, he wouldn’t be able to tell you with any accuracy. Only that he had won it and it was before he got kicked off the softball team, but after the year they went to Disneyland.

He does not remember Disneyland. He remembers a picture they took at Disneyland, but not much at all of the trip itself. Or any of the other pictures.

But even the memory of the pictures felt like relics from another world. A past life, long over.

The world, and himself were unrecognizable.

Matthew biked away from the settlement until nightfall. He hid his bike, and burrowed into a hole to sleep for the night. This wouldn’t protect him from mutants. If they showed, so would the mist, and there was no hiding from them then. But he was hidden from other humans, who could be just as dangerous.

He shivered in the cold. Trying not to think of the one time he stayed with Liam.

Liam’s space was warm, but held an illusion of safety that made Matthew’s mind rebel. It wasn’t safe. Nowhere was safe.

Nowhere would ever be safe again.

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't going to post this at first. It feels weird writing fanfic for a game that isn't even out yet. 
> 
> But there's a category, so I figured what the hell.
> 
> Also, this was written before the Crabmen got redesigned. I've been sitting on this awhile.


End file.
